Masaaki Yuasa has become one of my favorite directors of the 21st century. Not as the creative force of Japanese animation, but cinema in general. Thanks to GKIDS over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed Mind Game, The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, Lu Over the Wall and Ride Your Wave. As impressed as I was by those films, I’m overwhelmed by what he and his team accomplish with Inu-Oh. This is a tale from 13th Century Japan about a musician and a dancer who revolutionize their art and upset the wrong people.
Young Tomona and his dad are hired by agents of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu to dive deep into the ocean to retrieve a box from a boat wreck. When they come back up with the treasure, the agents don’t tell the father that he’s carrying the Grasscutter Sword, a legendary blade. When he pulls the sword out of its sheath, something very bad happens to him and leaves his son nearly blind. The child goes searching for the men since they grabbed the sword and split without even paying. On his journey, he encounters an elderly Biwa player. This is a musical instrument similar to a lute played with what looks like a large pick. Tomona learns the biwa and the traditional songs from the master. Around the same time as his struggles, Inu-Oh is also going through a lot of issues. He was born so horribly disfigured that his father forces him to wear a mask and live with the dogs in the yard. His father is a famous Noh performer who reportedly made a supernatural deal to achieve this talent and the son was cursed as a result. But one day, the son begins to dance and his limbs get normal. The duo meets up and Inu-Oh can’t stop moving when he hears Tomona’s music. The blind musician can’t see his friend to be shocked, but he does see the spirits of Heike warriors that had died while fighting against Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s ancestors. The duo begin to work up a new act based on the stories of the dead soldiers. Tomona has let his hair grow long and plays his biwa in a way that sounds like a metal band. Inu-Oh comes up with dance routines to match this new sound. The crowds flock to them. The one person who doesn’t Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu since the songs don’t paint him in a favorable light. He’s out to stop the music.
Visually Inu-Oh captures the supernatural elements of the story. The animation draws you into what look like ancient artwork and then transform the moment. Tomona becomes a heavy metal messiah when he gets deep into his songs. The animators capture the crowd going wild for his music. The old ways ripple into the modern world. Masaaki Yuasa and his crew have the supernatural swirl around with the music. The film is exquisite as it shows the two characters that have been screwed up by forces beyond their control coming together as a creative force. The ending shows how both react to a situation that is within their control when they’re told to stop performing by the powerful force of the Shogun. Inu-Oh is a film that you can get lost inside with the huge soundtrack and delicate drawings. You’ll be looking for some biwa music as the end credits roll.
The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfers brings out the artistry in the various animiation techniques and styles used in the film. The audio is 5.1 DTS-HD MA in both English and Japanese. There’s also an English DVS 5.1 track. The subtitles are in English and Spanish.
DVD has all the stuff as the Blu-ray.
Interview with Masaaki Yuasa (12:02) has him discuss adapting the book. He talks about his unorthodox approach. He shaped the animation around his research on the outfits worn by the people of the time period. There is discussion of working with his crew.
Q&A at US Premiere (13:48) is from the Aero Theater in Los Angeles on August 5, 2022. Yuasa talks about how the film is about how we remember the songs sung from all those centuries before, but the singers are forgotten. He was happy to hear laughter in the audience during the screening. An audience member asks the director about the process of casting voice actors.
Yuasa Draws Inu-Oh (12:13) has him break out the pens and paper to draw Inu-Oh. He talks about how the drawing reflects elements of the character.
Scene Breakdown (24:03) has Yuasa go into the elements of “The Whale Song.” He uses a tablet and pen to underline the actions and drawings.
Trailers and Teasers (5:39) includes English language trailer from GKIDS, the announcement teaser, two 30 second teasers in Japanese, a 60 second trailer. The trailers are all about the musical element of the film.
GKIDS and Shout! Factory present Inu-Oh. Directed by Masaaki Yuasa. Screenplay by Akiko Nogi. Starring Avu-chan, Joshua Waters, Holden Thomas, Mirai Moriyama, Sena Bryer, Carter Young & Jonathan Leon. Running Time: 98 minutes. Rating: Rated PG-13. Release Date: January 24, 2023.
